Qatar rift to surface during Gulf leaders’ meet in Kuwait

Kuwait : The 38th annual summit of the Gulf Arab heads of state will convene here on Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said, despite an ongoing dispute between some members of the group.

A rift between the Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on one side, and Qatar on the other has put this year’s annual meeting in doubt, Al Arabiya reported.

The crisis, which began in June, revolves around allegations by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt that Qatar supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies. Qatar says the four countries were trying to force Doha to fall in line with their own foreign policy views.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met his Gulf Arab counterparts on Monday ahead of the summit, one of the highest official encounters since some of them cut diplomatic, trade and travel links with Doha.

Al-Thani said that Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani would attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting, despite the dispute within the group.